Drug Abuse Essay, Research Paper

Addiction to drugs is a very serious problem. This can be defined as the continued involvement with a substance or activity despite ongoing negative consequences. These behaviors usually provide a sense of pleasure in the beginning. These pleasures can only be achieved through drug use and other harmful acts. The two types of drug addictions are psychological and physiological. These two types of addictions are so intertwined and related that it is often hard to tell them a part. Physiological dependence occurs because the drugs actually change your cellular make up and adapts your body to the chemical the drugs provide. Therefore your body actually needs the drug to function properly. The psychological addiction routes from the fact that the chemical reactions make you feel good. This, in turn, makes your mind constantly crave those positive feelings and emotions.

There are three different studies that have recently been performed concerning drugs. The first study involved the link between drug use and stress. The second study that was performed concerned a link between drug use and violence and crime. The last study that will be reviewed is the link between the use of drugs and how it is genetically passed down to the next generation.

The first study was executed by distributing several surveys that involved levels of stress. These surveys were taken by subjects that were known to be drug abusers. The researchers found that 77% of the people suffered from moderate stress and 43% of people suffered from serious stress. This study seems to be accurate with over 500 participants answering the survey. It also seems to be logical that when people become stressed they would turn to drugs to try and keep their mind off the hassles of life and forget all their worries. Overall, this seems to be a study that makes perfect sense and is probably relatively accurate.

The next study that was performed involved the link between drug use and the rate of crime and violence. This study looked at the past criminal records of people that were arrested on drug charges. Compared to people who were arrested for other offenses the past crime rate was much higher. Drug users also had a higher number of repeat offenses. This also seems to be a study that is accurate. The numbers are factual and there are no variables to take into consideration, so this is generally accepted as fact. Also, drugs are known to cause people to have mood swings and be violent especially during times of withdrawal. So, once again, the study proves to show a very clear link.

The last study, and the most controversial, is the link between genetics and drug abuse. In this study scientists try to find genetic proof that children who have fathers or mothers that were drug abusers are much more likely to become drug abusers themselves. This goes hand and hand with the idea that children who have alcoholic parents are more likely to become alcoholics. The idea of the alcoholism link is accepted to be true, so scientists also believe that the drug abuse link will become accepted in the near future. This study proves to be a promising one since it is closely linked with the study that was done with alcohol. Scientists, however, are still in the process of gathering more data from families with a drug abuse history and also are in the process of doing more genetic researc